Various substituted phenyl ethers (I.sup.1) are known in the literature. ##STR5##
Q may be pyrazole, imidazole, imidazolidine-2,4-dione, triazolinone, tetrazolinone, aminouracil, etc. R may be hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl. U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,956 discloses arylpyrazoles with the R group selected from propargyl, allyl, or substituted alkyl. JP 6,256,312 discloses phenylimidazoles with the R group selected from hydrogen, (C.sub.1-10)alkyl, (C.sub.1-5)haloalkyl, (C.sub.3-5)alkenyl, (C.sub.3-5)alkynyl, or (C.sub.3-6)cycloalkyl. U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,958 discloses triazolinones with the R group selected from substituted phenyl group. JP 57,197,268 discloses hydantoins with the R group selected lower alkyl. U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,337 discloses hydantoins with the R group selected from hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl. JP 525173 discloses pyrimidinediones with the R group selected from hydrogen, (C.sub.1-10)alkyl, (C.sub.1-5)haloalkyl, (C.sub.3-5)alkenyl, (C.sub.3-5)alkynyl, or (C.sub.3-6)cycloalkyl. U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,065 discloses phenyltetrazolinones with the R group selected from substituted phenyl group. No heteroaryl derivatives were claimed as R. WO 9,602,523 discloses substituted aryliminothiadiazoles with the R group selected from hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl. U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,981 discloses phenylurazoles with the R group selected from (C.sub.1-3)alkyl, allyl, or propargyl. EP-A-517181(which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,010) discloses aminouracil compounds wherein Q is amino uracil and R is a lower alkyl group. WO96/07323 and WO96/08151 disclose some known uracil compounds. In WO96/08151 the generic representation is significantly broader than the disclosures set forth in it, and in the prior art patents. The specific aminouracil compounds of the formula (I) mentioned below are not known and are novel.
The present invention reveals that some diaryl ethers represented by the general formula (I) or their salts have a potent herbicidal activity with good crop safety.